CROCHET PAIN

Sadly, annoyingly, this topic has been on my mind lately. I’ve started wearing a splint at night for sleep and it’s helping. I DO NOT want to get into advice giving here. A crochet blog is not the place for medical advice sharing. But, I have looked around on the web for ideas that might make crocheting easier on me. So, I’m gonna share a few of those ideas.

First, this looks funny but might be very helpful and the accompanying article has some good hints:

crochet-hook-with-foam-0709

http://www.craftycrafty.tv/2007/09/dont_give_up_crochet_because_o.html

There are other hooks available that call themselves ‘ergonomic’.What does ‘ergonomic’ mean? Here’s a good definition:

Ergonomics is the science of adapting the job and/or the equipment and the human to each other for optimal safety and productivity.

It makes sense to me that if a hook fits my hand nicely and I keep my elbows close to my body while crocheting, I’ve created the safest way for the muscles, tendons, bones, and nerves in my upper extremities to crochet safely. The thing about keeping elbows close to the body came from #1 Nancy Nehring during a class I took in 2001, and #2 Laura, the hand therapist I worked with after I broke my left wrist a couple years ago. I figure that’s good information – and, even if it’s not written in granite by the world’s leading orthopedist, it can’t hurt, right?

This one is hand turned and available at the site linked below it.

http://www.woodbyc.com/other_goodies1.htm

Here are some other ergonomic hooks that are widely available (Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, Walmart). Check them out to see if one might work for you.

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier.

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project.

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible.

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge.

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects.

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy.

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project.

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Xandy Peters]

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